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I Hear This A lot

12-30-2009, 10:09 PM

So I got a call from a home owner today she had their drain snaked at least six times in the last year by a certain company.
That raised flags for me so I asked what the situation was. She explained they had tree roots in two places and it was snaked out and each time with in two months they had to call them back. First time this sewer had to be snaked since they bought the home in 1989.

I told her tree roots do not grow back with in two months. The company is now telling her that she needs to reline the pipe for $3,000.00. I asked when it was they recommended it she said it was not until this last time they came out. They tved the line and found the pipe was in good condition it just had two spots where roots had grown in through the joints. I told her to get different quotes if she went with the option to reline but was shocked and told her they where not doing their job and should not have been out their six times and she had been set up for the big ticket job. She didn't have to say much about my comment and decided to use our product after they where coming out today for the seventh time.

I am still in shock she didn't even seem mad about being taken advantage of I just didn't get it. I can understand some one having issues and needing a more perminant solution but it seems they where trying to milk them for all they could.

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I got another one I just remembered. An elder lady in California living on her own last week had called me asking what she should do about her sewer that was backing up. She explained that she had the drain cleaning company out for the fourth time in six weeks and they told her that her pvc line they replace three years ago was full of roots and charged her each time they came out . I was shocked and was able to refer her to some one I knew who would do a good job.

She called back yesterday and thanked me because the guy found that one of joints had separated when he tved the line and dug up the area and repaired it. I felt good about that one, I love it when they call back with good news and the issue was resolved.

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Unfortunantly Dan, I've seen the selling issue alot. I had a job in va beach a while ago where roto rooter wanted to charge her 10k to replace her lateral. I broke down my price with her and showed her if she had me come out every 6 months, it would be almost 30 years before she spent 10k on me. She had me come out every 6 months at my own convience.

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This is a sewer repair that i just did! They have not had the line snaked in 15 years. I snaked it out with a 1 h.p. electric eel, it took me two hours just to get water flowing (using just a 2" spade bit). When i camered the line i seen bad roots. I had no idea they were this bad!

Will Rootx go through that.

To me this was a Necessary replacement!

Attached Files

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Hey Plumber Rick,
I could not help but notice the time, do all those k-60's you have keep you up at night? Get some sleep my friend, we need that mind of yours fresh to help solve the problems of the world!

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Great pix; amazing anything was flowing through that line. Most of the liquid probably just seeped into the ground like a drainfield. Understand your sentiment, Dan. If anyone has to go back on a drain call in 6 months, it should raise a red flag. They should have camera'd on the second call. If roots in two spots, did the company offer RootX treatment as a remedy? In an ideal world, sewers with roots would be dug up and replaced; in the real world we live in, a root product that works 6mos to a year is a very affordable and practical solution. My business is also focused on water treatment; like drain cleaning, it's an industry where many prey on the ignorance of the unknowing and elderly. You do want to feel sorry for the customer, but then you're puzzled as to why she keeps calling when the phone book has page after page of plumbers/drain cleaners.

This is a sewer repair that i just did! They have not had the line snaked in 15 years. I snaked it out with a 1 h.p. electric eel, it took me two hours just to get water flowing (using just a 2" spade bit). When i camered the line i seen bad roots. I had no idea they were this bad!

Will Rootx go through that.

To me this was a Necessary replacement!

Wow absolutely that is bad root problem. It amazes me how bad an issue can get before a resolution is necessary.